Syrian forces seize major oil, gas fields from KurdsListen to this articleA man takes a selfie with vehicles of the Syrian army following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, in Tabqa, Syria, Jan 18, 2026. (Photo: Reuters)DAMASCUS - Syrian troops fighting US-backed Kurdish-led forces seized the ‌Omar oil field, ​the country’s largest, and the Conoco gas field in the eastern Deir Zor province as allied Arab tribal forces advanced in the oil-rich area along the border with Iraq, ‌officials and security sources said on Sunday. The takeover of the oil fields that lie east of the Euphrates River, ‌a main source of revenue for the Kurdish-led forces, was a major blow to the group, which officials said had deprived the ⁠state of resources used by the militia. The Syrian army pressed ahead into predominantly Arab-populated areas of northeast Syria controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), despite U.S. calls to halt its advance. Syrian Kurdish authorities have not acknowledged the loss of those strategic sites, and it remained unclear ​whether fighting was still ongoing.

Source: Bangkok Post January 18, 2026 11:19 UTC